Gang Wars - Malarum Ninaivugal - Part I

There are certain things in life that just don't fade away from your memory. This memory has been a boon as well as a bane for me; boon when you're carrying pleasant memories and bane when you have to live with unpleasant ones and think about bad exam results. I'm now going to remember and write what happened about 18 years ago - when I was in my 2nd or 3rd standard! hmmm... that's a heck of a lot of days.

Like Russia (erstwhile USSR) and USA, we had 2 groups - rather gangs - in our class mainly because of 2 power centers - Jayakumar and M. Vinodh. They were neighbours in the TNHB quarters and had always quarralled whenever they met. This carried over into the school as well. Both of them had their own followers, who were made to follow them either by kinship or by power. Apparently, these guys were the best fighters in the class.

These guys had power centers and had divided the class into almost two. These two groups almost always clashed for no reason. The fights were not among the entire groups but individually. I still doubt if those 2 guys ever fought with each other. I was in two minds for a long time before I decided to join Vinodh's group because he appeared less evil. This one day, a fellow named Arshad approached me and asked me which group I belonged to. I knew he was in Jayakumar's group. So, I lied and told him that I belong to the same group too. But I got a nice beating and after a good couple of minutes, he told me he had changed his affiliation. Poor me. I didn't know that and I felt enough is enough.

Then came a breather. Another fellow, named Barath, who lived in the same colony as I and unable to take the beatings any more, devised a clever plan! He formed a new group - something like the Non-Aligned Movement started by India! Another guy, Mannar Mannan, who lived next door to Barath and his big 'allakkai' was this group's second member after Barath. I felt so relieved by this peaceful approach and readily joined and accepted Barath as the leader because Mannar Mannan advised me so!

From then on, we had pressure from other members of the other two gangs to join their gang, but we didn't budge. Whenever we went out of the class, always the 3 of us would go with Barath at the centre laying his hands on both of our shoulders. We were able to brave the threats from others, who always approached us individually and felt scared to bring up a fight because we were always in triplet...

Then USSR broke into pieces and after that only USA remained the sole super power. Vinodh lost his popularity and power and the whole gang thing was rendered meaningless because there wasn't a need for a gang!

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Some clarifications on New year resolutions

I don't believe in the adage, "New year resolutions are just that; they are meant to be broken." But I consider the resolutions as guidelines(!) into what one really wants to be and what the steps are. Taking my new year resolutions in the same vein, here is a progress report on what I've been up to in the past couple of months.

1. Wake up before 7.30 am everyday, including weekends. I get a quota of 10 days in the entire year, when I can get up later than half-past-seven.
I don't know why I had this as a resolution. The main aim of this resolution was to wake up just in time so I can catch the office shuttle. I've been getting up at around 8 am so I catch the office shuttle at 9.15am. So, I think this resolution is pointless.

3. Give my bike for servicing.
Yes, I did it!

6. Work only 40 hrs/week. No more, no less. This includes time spent on meetings and conferences.
One can do only one thing at a time. It's not possible to grow in the team and simultaneously be adamant that I'll work only for 40 hours.

10. Move to a new house that has a kitchen and then cook at least 1 meal a day.
Yes, this is happening! Moved to a new expensive house and cook atleast 1 meal on most of the days (>85%). To start with, I think this is good.

So, if you have any new year resolutions don't follow it as if it were a bible. Just strive to follow it! J

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2 good songs...

I'm going to share 2 good songs (actually, too good songs) that I loved. Both are quite different in their genres but invoke some inexplicable emotions in you.

First song: Vallavaa enai vellavaa
Singer: Sunitha Sarathy
I can't comprehend what kind of a talent this singer possesses. If you won't trust me just listen to this song. Also, just listen to the song carefully from 2:38 to 2:45. Incredible! The 8 seconds are a great lesson on sa-ri-ga-ma-pa-dha-ni... (If somebody is knowledgeable in music, please tell me which notes she exactly used in those 8 seconds)



Second Song: Siththiraiyil enna varum
Singer: Don't care!
Watchout: Well, no doubt, the song is amazing but the actress, Mamta Mohandas - Slim, tall, nicely complexioned, and very beautiful! If there's anyone who can give a tough fight to Ileana in South Indian film Industry, it should be Mamta.
Check out her bible: Mamta Mohandas Wiki

And... here's the song.

New Year Resolutions - 2007

2006, for me, has been a particularly indisciplined year. So, I've framed a bunch of resolutions that I'm aiming to follow resolutely. Here I'm, presenting my 12 point resolution.

1. Wake up before 7.30 am everyday, including weekends. I get a quota of 10 days in the entire year, when I can get up later than half-past-seven.
2. Cut down my waist size to my previous best of 28 inches. I shall weigh exactly 60 kilograms on 31-Dec-2007.
3. Give my bike for servicing.
4. Start investing. Target: 1 lakh in shares and MFs by Dec-2007.
5. Aim for less than 1 accident per quarter in my car.
6. Work only 40 hrs/week. No more, no less. This includes time spent on meetings and conferences.
7. Deliver my deliverables ahead of schedule.
8. Update my blog at least once every 10 days.
9. Become PMP certified.
10. Move to a new house that has a kitchen and then cook at least 1 meal a day.
11. Start working at office before 9.30am everyday and wind-up before 6:30pm.
12. Play some sport - volley ball or cricket (Pool and foosball don't count) - everyday.

Hyderabad 10k run report

I'm blogging nearly after a month. Blame my busy schedule. I hope I'll be regular in the coming weeks.

It was 4.30am on the d-day. I wished I'll just sleep thru, get up late, and realize I was late for the run. But nay, I got up. I drove to Microsoft where the company bus was waiting to pick us up. I was the only one in the entire bus and only 5 people joined me enroute to the necklace road, where the run was scheduled.

There should have been 3000-5000 people at the venue ready to run. Few tugged along an iPod on their waist or arms. Looked funny as this isn't supposed to be jogging. I was so confident that I'll finish in the top 5 and at the awards ceremony when they ask me how I feel, I wanted to say, "Ticking at 68 kilos, if I can finish in the top 5, it only shows the level of fitness of people in Hyderabad." I was to later realize what kind of a ridiculous thought it was!

Just after 2 kilometres, I was panting heavily. Running on the road is really tougher than on the treadmill. Repeat after me, running the treadmill is at least 10 times easier than really moving your body on the road. So, I started walking. A little later I developed cramps in the right-calf. So, even walking became difficult. Thankfully, there were medical aids made available at strategic places. I found two ladies with an Apollo hospitals banner waiting to help people like me. But, were they waiting? Hell, no. I think they were in a deep conversation when I interrupted them. After a little while, they digged out a spray and sprayed it on my calf. It didn't work. But still I covered the distance in 1 hr and 5 mins. Very bad. I should've been like 300th or 400th overall! Or maybe, even worse! But I was ecstatic when 2nd prize was announced for a person who covered the distance in 1 hr 5 min and 22 seconds. What? I finished 22 seconds before that fellow. Why not me? Isn't that injustice?

As it later turned out, that fellow had completed the half-marathon (21 kms) in that time. What a shame! Well, not quite. This is my first attempt at anything like a marathon. So, I should hope to better in the next run the best time put by another Microsoftian - 40 mins. Anxiously awaiting the last saturday of November 2007...